Photos by Edward Birch
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A professional couple with a young family
Size: 976 square metres; 4 bedrooms, two living areas, kitchen/dining area, study and separate granny flat
Location: Subiaco, WA
Architects: Kristina Sahlestrom and Luigi Rosselli, Luigi Rosselli Architects
Having an internal courtyard instead of a backyard was the brainchild of architect Luigi Rosselli, who envisaged a secret garden, surrounded by an elliptical verandah, carved into a cluster of connected pavilions.
“The oval courtyard slashes diagonally through the site from the entrance hall to the back gate,” Rosselli says. “The enclosed garden is a magnet for all the rooms and activities of the house.” Each pitched roof pavilion represents one of the main rooms gathered around the oval.
This is the second house Luigi Rosselli Architects has built for the owners, who lived overseas during the build. “They put their trust in us to deliver the vision while remaining at arm’s length from the project,” Rosselli says.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A professional couple with a young family
Size: 976 square metres; 4 bedrooms, two living areas, kitchen/dining area, study and separate granny flat
Location: Subiaco, WA
Architects: Kristina Sahlestrom and Luigi Rosselli, Luigi Rosselli Architects
Having an internal courtyard instead of a backyard was the brainchild of architect Luigi Rosselli, who envisaged a secret garden, surrounded by an elliptical verandah, carved into a cluster of connected pavilions.
“The oval courtyard slashes diagonally through the site from the entrance hall to the back gate,” Rosselli says. “The enclosed garden is a magnet for all the rooms and activities of the house.” Each pitched roof pavilion represents one of the main rooms gathered around the oval.
This is the second house Luigi Rosselli Architects has built for the owners, who lived overseas during the build. “They put their trust in us to deliver the vision while remaining at arm’s length from the project,” Rosselli says.
Viewed from the street, the relatively modest family home hides its secret well. The visible faces of the pavilions, aligned with the square geometry of the level block, respect the streetscape’s character. Subiaco is one of the best preserved Federation-period suburbs of Perth.
Asked what kind of design elements help the house fit into the neighbourhood, Sahlestrom says the choice to make the house single storey meant that it would not dominate the street. “Additionally, the reimagining of the traditional verandah, the reuse of old materials and traditional design elements tie the house to its surroundings,” she says.
Council was receptive to the initial design because the intention was always to create a house that would be in harmony with the Federation-era streetscape it was to inhabit. “When the design was presented to council at a meeting it was actually applauded,” Sahlestrom says.
Asked what kind of design elements help the house fit into the neighbourhood, Sahlestrom says the choice to make the house single storey meant that it would not dominate the street. “Additionally, the reimagining of the traditional verandah, the reuse of old materials and traditional design elements tie the house to its surroundings,” she says.
Council was receptive to the initial design because the intention was always to create a house that would be in harmony with the Federation-era streetscape it was to inhabit. “When the design was presented to council at a meeting it was actually applauded,” Sahlestrom says.
The criss-crossed brickwork, shutters and gables knit the new house to the early 1900s streetscape. Sahlestrom says the Subiaco neighbourhood has enthusiastically adopted the new house. “The small scale of the pitched roofs, reinvented verandah and the pattern of the recycled brickwork have all been respectful to the early 1900s intact streetscape.”
The architects set out to reuse whatever materials they could from the site’s original house, to lower the embodied energy of the building. As well as creating a classic design detail that fits into the neighbourhood, the lattice patterning adds interest to the house.
The architects set out to reuse whatever materials they could from the site’s original house, to lower the embodied energy of the building. As well as creating a classic design detail that fits into the neighbourhood, the lattice patterning adds interest to the house.
The pattern was composed of cleaned red-face brick, recycled from the pre-existing crumbling house and sheds, and white bricks from the demolition of plastered or painted brick walls. “The bricks from the old structures were cleaned up, with the builder taking care to leave some of the original whitewash on them to create the pattern,” says Sahlestrom.
The brickwork folds into the entry alcove, with vertical ribbed glass to the front doors. These glass doors allow plenty of light to penetrate while still providing privacy for the owners.
The brickwork folds into the entry alcove, with vertical ribbed glass to the front doors. These glass doors allow plenty of light to penetrate while still providing privacy for the owners.
An oval penetration through the roof of the entry hints at the shape of the internal courtyard.
As seen in the floorplan, a kitchen terrace separates a granny flat from the rest of the home. A garage adjoins the granny flat, also disconnected from the rest of the living spaces. The master bedroom, kitchen and granny flat all have views and access to the oval. Other rooms are separated from the courtyard by a hallway that runs around its circumference.
Dark-stained jarrah floorboards flow from the entry to the shared living spaces and bedrooms.
Woven brass mesh doors feature in both of the living areas at the front of the home. Here, they slide open to cover or reveal both the fireplace and the TV seen to the right of this image. The fireplace is placed so that it is shared between the formal sitting room and the family living area that connects to the kitchen.
Next door, the kitchen island features a Stone Italiana benchtop, and American oak cabinets that are set against recessed dark-stained jarrah to give it a floating effect. A mirrored splashback beneath more brass mesh doors brings depth to the kitchen.
This curved hallway is lined with recessed LED strip lighting that follows the shape of the oval courtyard. Painted American oak routed panelling lines the passageways and alcoves, and conceals storage cupboards.
Subtle curves appear in other ways inside too, referencing the oval outdoors.
A curved glass mosaic-tiled wall catches the light in this bathroom. The freestanding bath and basins reflect the oval shape outside. All four bathrooms in the house feature tiles from Bisazza.
Thoughtful lighting throughout the house emphasises the home’s architectural features.
Custom cabinetry achieves a seamless result throughout the home, hiding storage inside floor-to-ceiling joinery. This wardrobe is built into the wall of the second bedroom, providing plenty of space to store belongings while also maintaining the room’s streamlined design.
Sahlestrom says the interiors reflect the “constructive tension” between the timeless pitched roof form, traditional timber trusses, small paned windows and modern materials – vertical sun louvres, curved glass, polished concrete and Scandinavian furniture. This study, which sits at the front of the house features a bank of built-in timber cabinetry that gives the space a sleek, tidy look yet with plenty of warmth and sunlight.
The architects avoided designing a megastructure that would dominate the double block. “The pavilion’s scale is similar to the adjacent houses and the main trees have been saved and protected,” Sahlestrom says.
Jarrah timber decking follows the oval’s curve, an effect achieved by tapering every seventh board. The verandah ceiling has been lined in the same way.
The family uses the ‘backyard’ for ball and cricket games, sunbathing and large gatherings. “In many ways it is also a performance space, with the rooms of the house looking on,” Sahlestrom says. “Their children play in the space and they use it to entertain friends.”
Adjustable vertical louvres around the oval’s walls provide shade to the curved glass window opposite the entry as needed. In the background, the sitting room chimney straddles two separate roofs.
Sahlestrom made a conscious choice to restrict the more modern elements of the house, such as the vertical aluminium louvres, to the internal, less visible areas. The verandah floor was designed to seating height, creating a horseshoe-shaped bench akin to those you find in theatres.
The family uses the ‘backyard’ for ball and cricket games, sunbathing and large gatherings. “In many ways it is also a performance space, with the rooms of the house looking on,” Sahlestrom says. “Their children play in the space and they use it to entertain friends.”
Adjustable vertical louvres around the oval’s walls provide shade to the curved glass window opposite the entry as needed. In the background, the sitting room chimney straddles two separate roofs.
Sahlestrom made a conscious choice to restrict the more modern elements of the house, such as the vertical aluminium louvres, to the internal, less visible areas. The verandah floor was designed to seating height, creating a horseshoe-shaped bench akin to those you find in theatres.
Looking north, the kitchen and family room are on the left, with the granny flat and garage at the far end. The bedrooms are on the right.
The way the building flows between inside and the protected courtyard garden is what Rosselli is most proud of about the project. “It was just as successful as envisaged,” he says. “The internal and external areas flow into each other and create both a link as well as a protective buffer between the private bedroom wing and the living/dining wing.
“The element of surprise to find this open courtyard after entering from the street is highly effective, and the connection to the garden is constant.”
The patterned brickwork on the home’s street-side facade is echoed on one wall facing the oval.
The way the building flows between inside and the protected courtyard garden is what Rosselli is most proud of about the project. “It was just as successful as envisaged,” he says. “The internal and external areas flow into each other and create both a link as well as a protective buffer between the private bedroom wing and the living/dining wing.
“The element of surprise to find this open courtyard after entering from the street is highly effective, and the connection to the garden is constant.”
The patterned brickwork on the home’s street-side facade is echoed on one wall facing the oval.
Sustainability is at the core of every project Luigi Rosselli Architects takes on. “It is never an afterthought,” Sahlestrom says. As well as reusing materials from the original house where possible, passive cross-ventilation has been maximised, while shading elements (adjustable aluminium louvres on the internal courtyard and verandahs on the external and internal facades of the house, for example) and photovoltaic solar panels for power generation were also key elements of the design from the beginning.
The kitchen on the right has its own terrace at the same floor level. Most of the lights are LED and the courtyard could function with borrowed light from the house, says Sahlestrom.
This is the original concept sketch. It shows the proposed location of the pool – to be installed at a later date.
We asked Rosselli whether he thinks other homeowners should consider an internal courtyard instead of a traditional backyard. “Absolutely,” he says. “If the site allows for the positioning of buildings comparatively close to its boundaries to maximise the use of space, courtyard homes provide a high degree of privacy for their inhabitants while fostering an open, convivial and connected feeling within.”
Internal courtyards are also great for families with younger children, he says, because parents can observe their kids at play outdoors from almost anywhere in the building without feeling they are being overprotective.
We asked Rosselli whether he thinks other homeowners should consider an internal courtyard instead of a traditional backyard. “Absolutely,” he says. “If the site allows for the positioning of buildings comparatively close to its boundaries to maximise the use of space, courtyard homes provide a high degree of privacy for their inhabitants while fostering an open, convivial and connected feeling within.”
Internal courtyards are also great for families with younger children, he says, because parents can observe their kids at play outdoors from almost anywhere in the building without feeling they are being overprotective.
My dream house includes an interior courtyard. But do they get hot? There isn't much airflow...
Would be fun as a kid and/or dog to play a circular game of chase.